Loud speakers are utilized in vehicles to produce sound from a radio, tape player, and/or compact disc player. The inclusion of such speakers within the vehicle requires additional assembly steps and modifications to components of the vehicle. The speakers may add weight to the vehicle and also take up space within the same (especially in thickness direction), creating packaging, fuel economy, and cross-platform modularity issues. In addition, loudspeakers need grills to protect the delicate speaker cone, which can also add cost or tooling complexity. The grills are often visible, which can be undesirable to the user of the vehicle.
A flexible structural member for producing an audible sound in a motor vehicle includes a speaker area having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a piezo bimorph attached to the speaker area. The piezo bimorph includes a first piezoelectric element attached to the upper surface and a second piezoelectric element attached to the lower side and proximate to the first piezoelectric element. An amplifier is used to drive the piezo bimorph and supplies an electrical field to the piezo bimorph.
A method of creating sound in a vehicle includes attaching a first piezoelectric element to an upper surface of an interior trim, and a second piezoelectric element to a lower surface of the interior trim, proximate to the first piezoelectric element. The method also includes attaching an amplifier in electrical communication with the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, and applying an electric field to the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element. After the electric field is applied, the interior trim vibrates and creates sound. (The appropriate number of piezo Biomorphs are used depending on the desired out put level of dB for the sound required for the particular vehicles).
The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.